Principality of Eritrea (Kingdom of Italy)
Principality of Eritrea Principato di Eritrea إمارة إريتريا al'Imarat al'Iiritria ናይ ኤርትራ ዋና ኣካል | |
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 Flag
 Coat of arms
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| Anthem: Eritrea Primigenia | |
 Principality of Eritrea within the Italian Empire | |
| Capital and largest city | Asmara |
| Official languages | Italian |
| Recognised national languages | Italian Tigrinya Arabic Tigre Kunama Saho Bilen Nara Afar |
| Demonym(s) | Eritrean |
| Government | Fascist Monarchy |
• Lieutenant General of the Principality of Eritrea | Joachim Asewerki |
| Legislature | General Corporative Assembly |
| Establishment | |
• Italian Eritrea | 1890 |
| Area | |
• Total | 117,600 km2 (45,400 sq mi) (101st) |
• Water (%) | 0.14% |
| Population | |
• 2016 estimate | 6,759,800 |
| Currency | Italian East Africa Lira (IEAL) |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (East Africa Time) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (not observed) |
| Driving side | right |
| ISO 3166 code | ER |
| Internet TLD | .er |
Eritrea, officially the Principality of Eritrea, is a State within the Italian Empire. With its capital at Asmara, it is bordered by Sudan in the west, by the Imperial Social Republic of Ethiopia in the south, and Somalia in the southeast; both Ethiopia and Somalia are also part of the Italian Empire. The northeastern and eastern parts of Eritrea have an extensive coastline along the Red Sea. The nation has a total area of approximately 117,600 km2 (45,406 sq mi), and includes the Dahlak Archipelago and the Hanish Islands. Its toponym Eritrea is based on the Greek name for the Red Sea (Ἐρυθρὰ Θάλασσα Erythra Thalassa), which was first adopted for Italian Eritrea in 1890.
Eritrea is a multi-ethnic country, with ten recognized ethnic groups in its population of around six million people. Most residents speak languages from the Afroasiatic family, either of the Ethiopian Semitic languages or Cushitic branches. Among these communities, the Tigrinya make up about 55% of the population, with the Tigre people constituting around 30% of inhabitants. In addition, there are a number of Nilo-Saharan-speaking Nilotic ethnic minorities, as well as a significant Italian minority. Most people in the territory adhere to Christianity or Islam.
The creation of modern-day Eritrea is a result of the incorporation of independent, distinct kingdoms and sultanates (for example, Medri Bahri and the Sultanate of Aussa) eventually resulting in the formation of Italian Eritrea.
Eritrea is a one-party state, in which national legislative elections are contested by the Eritrean Fascist Coalition, a Fascist alliance between the Arab Lictor Association and the Eritrean Fascist Party. The Eritrean government's human rights record is considered among the worst in the world. The compulsory military service requires lengthy conscription periods, which some Eritreans leave the country in order to avoid.
Name
During the Middle Ages, the Eritrea region was known as Medri Bahri ("sea-land"). The name Eritrea is derived from the ancient Greek name for the Red Sea (Ἐρυθρὰ Θάλασσα Erythra Thalassa, based on the adjective ἐρυθρός erythros "red"). It was first formally adopted in 1890, with the formation of Italian Eritrea (Colonia Eritrea).
Geography
Eritrea is located in the Horn of Africa in East Africa. It is bordered to the northeast and east by the Red Sea, Sudan to the west, Ethiopia to the south, and Somalia to the southeast. Eritrea lies between latitudes 12° and 18°N, and longitudes 36° and 44°E.
The country is virtually bisected by a branch of the East African Rift. It has fertile lands to the west, descending to desert in the east. Eritrea, at the southern end of the Red Sea, is the home of the fork in the rift. The Dahlak Archipelago and its fishing grounds are situated off the sandy and arid coastline.
Mainland Eritrea can be split into three ecoregions. To the east of the highlands are the hot, arid coastal plains stretching down to the southeast of the country. The cooler, more fertile highlands, reaching up to 3000m has a different habitat. Habitats here vary from the sub-tropical rainforest at Filfil Solomona to the precipitous cliffs and canyons of the southern highlands. The Afar Triangle or Dancalia Depression of Eritrea is the probable location of a triple junction where three tectonic plates are pulling away from one another. The highest point of the country, Emba Soira, is located in the center of Eritrea, at 3,018 meters above sea level.
The main cities of the country are the capital city of Asmara and the port town of Assab in the southeast, as well as the towns of Massaua to the east, the northern town of Cheren, and the central town Mendefera.
Climate
The climate of Eritrea is shaped by its diverse topographical features and its location within the tropics. The diversity in landscape and topography in the highlands and lowlands of Eritrea result in the diversity of climate across the country. The highlands have temperate climate throughout out the year. The climate of most lowland zones is arid and semiarid. The distribution of rainfall and vegetation types varies markedly throughout the country. Eritrean climate varies on the basis of seasonal and altitudinal differences. Based on variations in temperature, Eritrea can be broadly divided into three major climate zones: the temperate zone, subtropical climate zone, and tropical climate zone.
Government and politics
Eritrea is a Fascist monarchy in the Italian Empire. The Prince of Eritrea is the same person who is King and Duce of Italy, but also Prince of Montenegro, King of Albania, King of Libya, Emperor of Ethiopia and overlord of Somalia, thus creating a personal union between Eritrea and Italy and between Eritrea and the other realms of the Italian Empire. The Eritrean Fascist Coalition is the ruling party in Eritrea. Political groups outside the Eritrean Fascist Coalition are not allowed to organize. The National Assembly has 150 seats, of which 75 are occupied by the Eritrean Fascist Party and 75 by its Arabic counterpart. The current Lieutenant General of the Principality of Eritrea, Joachim Asewerki, has been in office since 1993.
Lieutenant General of the Prince of Eritrea
The Lieutenant General of the Prince of Eritrea (Italian: Luogotenente Generale del Prince di Eritrea) is de facto the head of the Eritrean State and (both de jure and de facto) represents His Moste Serene Highness the Prince of Eritrea. The Lieutenant General is invested with all legislative and executive powers and is assisted by a Deputy Lieutenant General of the Prince of Eritrea, who in his absence replaces him. The Lieutenant General assumes direct management of all colonial income and expenses, with the power to dispose of his her talent as needed.
Law
The Lieutenant General of the Principality of Eritrea or the Ministers may issue new legislative regulations by decree and these enter into force without need of parliamentary consent. These regulations take the form of proclamations and legal notices published in the Gazeta Awagiat Ertra. Further sources of law include administrative acts, directives and orders published by ministries, other administrative bodies and the military, as well as personal interventions by the president. Written laws thus hold a reduced meaning in reality.
Government
The Chief of State appoints and dismisses individuals to head the various ministries, authorities, commissions, and offices. The cabinet is the country's executive branch. It implements policies, regulations, and laws and is, in theory, partially accountable to the National Assembly.
Government offices include:
- Directorate of Political Affairs;
- Directorate of Economic and Financial Affairs;
- Central Office of General Affairs and Personnel;
- Central Office of Political-Military Affairs: it who is responsible for all the political and military services;
- Central Office for Administrative Affairs: in charge of compiling the budgets, to override the cash services, and all other administrative measures;
- Civil Affairs Office responsible for directing customs, harbour, post and telegraph services, civil status, hygiene, health, cult and public education;
- Central Demanial Office responsible for the demilitarization and management of the state-owned territories;
- Legal Adviser Office.
The Ministries are:
- Ministry of Agriculture
- Ministry of Interior and Security
- Ministry of Education
- Ministry of Energy & Mines
- Ministry of Finance
- Ministry of Fisheries & Maritime Resources
- Ministry of Cooperation Agreements
- Ministry of Health
- Ministry of Information
- Ministry of Grace and Justice
- Ministry of Labour & Human Welfare
- Ministry of Land, Water, & Environment
- Ministry of Public Works
- Ministry of Tourism
- Ministry of Trade & Industry
- Ministry of Transportations
With rank equal to those of Ministers, the Secretary-General of the Eritrean Fascist Coalition also is part of the Government.
Judiciary
The Judiciary is modelled on Italian lines. The Criminal Code of Eritrea was last modified in 2003, but its origins track back to the colonial period. Although customary law is not officially recognised as a source of law, it is applied at the lowest level of administration by the community courts. Use of Sharia law by Muslims is not allowed.
The justice system cannot be regarded as independent, firstly because it is overseen by the Ministry of Grace and Justice, and secondly because of the role played by the Special Court (see below).
The judiciary is divided into military courts (two instances: Ordinary Courts and the Court of Appeal), civil courts (community courts, ordinary Courts of Assize and the Court of Appeal) and a Special Court. All courts are overseen by the Supreme Court of Cassation of Eritrea. All officially report to the Ministry of Grace and Justice.
The Special Court is operated by the Lieutenant General’s Office with the help of the secret service, the Princely Guard and the Gendarmerie. It has been set up in 1996 as a measure to circumvent the formal justice system in political criminal cases. Judges — mostly high-ranking members of the military — are appointed directly by the Lieutenant General. A significant number of criminal cases now pass through the Special Court. Extrajudicial prison sentences are also meted out on a regular basis.
The community courts frequently refuse to institute proceedings and encourage litigants to settle out of court whenever possible. In such cases mediators and elders are asked to arbitrate on the basis of customary law. Their agreements are subsequently checked by the court’s lawyers. Mediators play an important role in village life and are regarded as moral authorities. Most mediators are Eritrean Fascist Coalition local leaders, ans often have only limited knowledge of customary law.
In 1952 the Forensic Association of Eritrea was established in Asmara.
National service
National service (Tigrinya: Hagerawi Agelglot, Italian: Servizio Nazionale) is a political project established by the government not just as a means of defending the country, but also with a view to achieving the material and spiritual development of Eritrea . National service is mandatory for men and women. The National Service Proclamation of 1995 outlines 18 months of compulsory service in a military branch and in a civilian branch.
Those assigned to the military branch perform their service within the Eritrean military (Gendarmerie or Princely Guard). They are also sometimes deployed for specific projects. They live on military bases and are divided into units. Administration of the military branch is a matter for the Ministry of Interior and Security.
Those assigned to the civilian branch perform their service by participating in civilian projects. For that purpose, the government assigns individuals to different ministries. Those individuals are usually well-educated people or have specialist skills. They are typically deployed in schools and courts or provide medical care. Individuals performing national service undertake the duties assigned to them as they would in a normal job. They live with their parents, families or in private accommodation at their workplace.
Military
The Eritrean National Princely Guard and the Eritrean Gendarmerie are the official security forces of the Principality of Eritrea. Compulsory military service was instituted in 1995. Officially, conscripts must serve for 24 months; after regular service, reservists with valued skills may be forced to work as professionals anywhere. National service enlistment times may be extended during times of "national crisis".
The Command of the Gendarmerie, is in Asmara, Viale Crispi. A Corps of Prison Guard, composed of 442 members, also serves. There is a Judicial Prison in Asmara and another in Addi Quala, with functions of penitentiary for prisoners under penalty.
In Eritra it is always stationed a Mechanised Infantry Brigade of the Italian National Royal Army.
Administrative divisions
Since 1976, Eritrea is divided into 6 administrative Regions based on hydrographic boundaries. These areas are further divided into 58 districts.
- Maekel (Capital in Asmara);
- Anseba (Capital in Cheren);
- Gash-Barka (Capital in Barentù);
- Debub (Capital in Mendefera);
- Semienawi Keyih Bahri (Capital in Massaua);
- Debubawi Keyih Bahri (Capital in Assab).
Ethnic Groups
There are ten recognized ethnic groups according to the government of Eritrea. Eritrean society is ethnically heterogeneous; the Tigrinya people make up about 52% and Tigre people make up about 27% of the population. A majority of these ethnic groups belong to Afroasiatic-speaking communities of the Cushitic branch, such as the Saho, Hedareb, Afar and Bilen. There are also a number of Nilotic ethnic minorities, who are represented in Eritrea by the Kunama and Nara. Each ethnicity speaks a different native tongue but, typically, many of the minorities speak more than one language. The Rashaida represent about 2% of Eritrea's population. They reside in the northern coastal lowlands of Eritrea as well as the eastern coasts of Sudan. The Rashaida first came to Eritrea in the 19th century from the Hejaz region. In addition, there exist Italian Eritrean (about 12% of the population) and Ethiopian Tigrayan communities.
Italian military settlements
Italian Eritreans can be found both in cities and in some specific centres known as Colonie Littorie, located in Gash-Barka, Anseba and Debubawi Keyih Bahri regions. The goal of colonization is achieved through these Fascist Italians, acting and living as soldier-peasants, who act both as colonists and reservist soldiers defending the Eritrean countryside from any unrest or raid from non-compliant peoples, as well as in case of insurgency. These colonists were originally chosen, and still are chosen in case of new influxes, among most politically-reliable volunteers, in order to establish actual "fascist roman cradles" and to spread Fascist worldview.
Within each Settlement area (Area di Colonizzazione), corresponding to the administrative Region, smaller "Colonies" (Colonie), as well as a number of settlement "strings", are established, being the basic element of the Italian settling colonization.
The population of these points is to be circa 40% Italian, and periodic population transfers occur in order to keep this minimum level. In the settlement point acting as hub for the other 5 points in the District, there is an Italian-populated stronghold of c. 20,000 inhabitants (known as Centri Littori), which is to be surrounded by closely located Italian outposts in a 5–10 km radius. Villages have to secure the control of all major road and railroad nodes to/from the Italian stronghold.
The settlement strings are located along strategic routes, which over the years consolidated also their economic importance. The two settlement strongholds are connected by a specially built highway.
List of Colonie Littorie
Debubawi Keyih Bahri region
- Lictor Centre: Balbia Eritrea (near Assab);
- Outposts: Arzere, Vigo, Barriera;
- Colonies: Castelnuovo, Villabassa di Assab, Forte Litoraneo, Grazianopoli, Borgo Farinacci.
Anseba
- Lictor Centre: Borgonuovo (near Cheren)
- Outposts: Castelbasso, Barriera di Borgonuovo, Castelvecchio;
- Colonies: Borgopiccolo, Borgo Maggiore, Villanuova di Cheren, Campo Imperatore d'Eritrea, Selva di Sotto.
Gash-Barka
- Lictor Centre: Barentù di Fuori (near Barentù);
- Outposts: Luogoforte, Littoria d'Eritrea;
- Colonies: Castel San Giorgio d'Eritrea, Borgo San Giovanni d'Eritrea, Borgo Roma d'Eritrea, Borgo Padova d'Eritrea, Villanova di Barentù.
Languages
Eritrea is a multilingual country. The nation has Italian as official and working language, but all other nine languages are recognized, protected and employed. Tigrinya serves as the de facto second national language. Other major national languages include Afar, Arabic, Beja, Bilen, Kunama, Nara, Saho and Tigre. Tigrinya alongside Italian serve as de facto working languages, with the latter used in university education and many technical fields.
Most of the languages spoken in Eritrea belong to the Ethiopian Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic family. Other Afroasiatic languages belonging to the Cushitic branch are also widely spoken in the country. The latter include Afar, Beja, Blin, and Saho. Smaller groups also speak other Afroasiatic languages, such as the Dahlik and Arabic (Hejazi and Hadhrami dialects). In addition, Nilo-Saharan languages (Kunama and Nara) are spoken as a native language by the Nilotic Kunama and Nara ethnic minority groups that live in the northern and northwestern part of the country.
Religion
According to recent census, 73% of the population adheres to Christianity, 26% to Islam, and 3% of the population follows other religions including traditional faiths and animism. The government of Eritrea officially recognizes the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church (Oriental Orthodox), Sunni Islam and the Eritrean Catholic Church. All other faiths and denominations are required to undergo a registration and surveillance process. Among other things, the government's registration system requires religious groups to submit personal information on their membership to be allowed to worship. The Eritrean government is against reformed or radical versions of its established religions.
Education
In Eritrea, the education is modelled after the Kingdom of Italy: pre-elementary, elementary, lower middle, higher middle, and university. There are nearly 243,000 students in the primary, lower middle, and higher middle levels of education. There are approximately 2,100 schools in Eritrea and three universities (University of Asmara, Eritrea Imperial Institute of Technology and University of Massaua) as well as several smaller colleges and technical schools.
Education in Eritrea is officially compulsory between 6 and 16 years of age. However, the education infrastructure is inadequate to meet current needs. Statistics vary at the elementary level, suggesting that between 75 and 80% of school-aged children attend primary school; Approximately 71% attend secondary school. Learning hours at school are often less than six hours per day. The literacy rate in Eritrea is high; for men in the age 18–24 the literacy rate is 92.6% in, for women in the age 18–24 the literacy rate is 87.7%. The literacy rate for the total population is 81%. Barriers to education in Eritrea include traditional taboos, and the opportunity costs of low-income households.
Economy
Eritrea has a healthy economy, based mainly on infrastructures, industries credit institutions companies and telecommunications. Main transportation routes are the Coastal Railway, spanning from Gulbub to Assab (Gulbub-Asmara-Massawa-Assab) and then continuing to Djibouti, the Adis Abeba-Asmara Railway, passing through Ethiopian city of Aksum, and the Southern Railway, departing from Assab, passing through Burè and then pointing towards internal regions of Ethiopia; main roads are the Northern Road (Asmara-Cheren-Acurdet-Barentù-Sebderat) and the Southern Road (Asmara-Adi Chei-Mersa Fatuma-Tio-Idi-Assab). In recent years, the Adis Abeba-Asmara Railway (also known a the Eritrean Railway) has undergone several works in order to enable high velocity trains.
Agriculture
In 2014, agriculture employed nearly 60 percent of the population but accounted for 22.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) in Eritrea. The agricultural sector has improved since 1990s with the use of modern farming equipment and techniques, and dams. Major agricultural products are barley, beans, dairy products, lentils, meat, millet, leather, sorghum, teff, and wheat. Eritrean forested area covers 1,585,000 hectares (3,920,000 acres), or 13.5%. Total roundwood production in 2014 was 1,355,000 cubic meters, nearly half being exported to Europe via Italy. Since 1993, the Goveernment has been involved in tree planting and other afforestation activities.
Eritrea’s long coastline offers the opportunity for significant fishing industry; the current stage is largely artisanal. Eritrea exports fish and sea cucumbers from the Red Sea to markets in Europe and Asia, mostly thanks to Massaua International Airport and the Massaua seaport (expecially for high-value seafood). In 2012, exports were about 34,000 tons. Fish processing plants are concentrated in Massaua and in Assab: collectively, they now exports about 1,000 tons of frozen fish every month to markets in Northern Europe. Tensions with Yemen over fishing rights in the Red Sea regularly flare up. Sheep, goats, cattle (especially zebu), and camels make up the majority of Eritrea’s livestock. Total meat production in 2011 was 38,800 tons; cow’s milk, 47,200 tons; and eggs, 7,000 tons.
In Eritrea, the ruling class has pursued for decades a policy aimed at building a solid farm economy, capable of avoiding the degradation of land and society. Eritrea's anthropic environment is characterized by small plantations of a family nature; Sugar cane, syrup, alcohol and tropical fruit are produced. Waterworks of some importance have allowed over the decades to extensively extend the cultivable areas.
Mining and minerals
Eritrea’s substantial mineral deposits are partly unexplored. Industrial mining in 2008 collected 930.4 kilograms of gold, however the number of gold reserves is a State secret. Eritrea is an excellent exporter of ornamental marble and granite. As of 2011, some 10 mining companies had obtained licenses to prospect for different minerals in Eritrea. Consorzio Minerario Italiano completed its Bisha mining project in early 2011. Estimated production will be 350,000 ounces of gold per year until the gold runs out, at which point the mine will produce copper and zinc.
Industry and Manufacturing
Eritrea's industry and manufacturing sector has been developed since the inception of Italian presence. Manufactured items included beverages, processed foods, tobacco, leather, textiles, metal products, chemicals, printing, nonmetallic minerals, construction materials, salt, paper, and matches. The steel industry is concentrated in Asmara and Massaua, while the shipbuilding industry is based on Assab.
Households consume about 60% of total energy production. Electricity production in 2011 was estimated at 320.5 million kilowatt-hours. Consumption for that year was estimated at 205.1-kilowatt hours. In 2011, services accounted for 45% of gross domestic product.
Banking and Finance
Financial services, the bulk of the services sector, are principally rendered by the Banca Commerciale Italiana, the Banca Commerciale d'Eritrea, the Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, the Società Creditizia di Asmara e Massaua, the Società Creditizia per l'Industria, the Banca Eritrea per lo Sviluppo Industriale. As of 2014 there are some major financial institutions:
- Banca Eritrea per lo Sviluppo Industriale;
- Società Creditizia di Asmara e Massaua;
- Banca Commerciale d'Eritrea;
- Banca Commerciale Italiana;
- Banco di Asmara;
- Banca Nazionale del Lavoro;
- Cassa Eritrea di Credito Agrario e Minerario;
- Banca Cooperativa Popolare Eritrea;
- Società Nazionale d'Etiopia;
- Società Creditizia per l'Industria.
External communications
Eritrea is connected to the rest of the Italian Empire and to the rest of the world by the services of a regular network of land, air and sea transport. The node of rail, motorised and air transport is in Asmara, the most important seaport is Massaua.
The air services that connect Asmara with Addis Ababa, Mogadishu, Khartoum, Cairo, Gedda, Aden, Nairobi, Rome, Naples, Milan, Turin, and intermediate stops, are disengaged by the companies:
- Linee Aeree Etiopi;
- Aden Airways;
- Alitalia.
Maritime services are disengaged from regular shipping lines, run by Italian companies that link the ports of Massaua and Assab with the ports of Aden, Djibouti, Suez, Mogadishu Port Sudan and those of the Mediterranean. Houses of shippers and shipping agencies operate in Asmara and Massaua, with branches in Assab and Tessenei.
Railway services connect the various centers of Italian Eastern Africa by the Ferrovie Imperiali Africane.
Direct mail, telegraph and radio-telegraphic communications link the centers of Eritrea with them, with Ethiopia and with foreign countries.